Wednesday evening was below standard

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32708, 10 September 1971, Page 4

Wednesday evening was below standard

Wednesday evening’s viewing front CHTV3 was not a particularly edifying experience; in fact, it was one night on which “Peyton Place” managed to hold its own. The three programmes which made up the bulk of the evening’s viewing. “Studio One,” “The Troubleshooters,” and “I’ve Married A Bachelor,” all failed to come up to standard. This was particularly surprising in the case of the Australian production, “I’ve Married A Bachelor,” which had been such a rollicking success the previous week. Without Barry Creyton, the bogus clergyman of the first episode, the comedy palled. Peter Whitford, projected into the limelight, failed lamentably as the great Australian beer-loving husband; his was an empty performance. But he was in good company. for Richard Meikle, as the phony guru, Alistair Duncan, who played Garibaldi the bread merchant, and Donald Macdonald, the pathetic stooge who made countless trips to the kitchen

Jfor cans of beer, all performed with the finesse of a [sledgehammer, i The plot had been carel fully scraped from the bot- . tom of the barrel and even ; the valiant efforts of June Thody failed to invest it with any appeal. It was both amazing and disturbing that two episodes in the same series could be so far removed from each other in standard. From the programme notes, “The Troubleshooters” looked distinctly promising: Ray Barrett was back in a leading role as the blunt Australian, Peter Thornton, and the scene of operations had shifted from Britain to Africa. But alas for fond hopes! Poor Thornton was buried beneath an avalanche of cliches from Clifton Jones, as the rebel leader, and Norman Beaton, as Amos Tucker. There was a good deal of airy philosophy from both of them—none of it had the slightest connection with the doings of Mogul. Tucker’s change of allegiance was far too glib and his grass roots search unconvincing. Another source of irritation, not confined to this week’s episode, is Brian Stead’s habit of waving a newspaper in the air from his perch in Mogul’s ivory tower while he grunts “kill that story” or “issue a denial to that one.” It would appear that Hp tmllv hAIiAVAQ

is such a thing as* bad publicity. 0 “Studio One,” wlflLh reached its penultimate session, is wearing a little thin, partly because of the rigidity of its format and partly because of the sameness of its material. A sure sign of boredom was evident this week from the obvious desire of Tony Eagleton, one of the resident judges, to break out in a little impromptu comedy. But he received no encouragement, least of all from the host, Jim McNaught, who has smiled fixedly at the camera for six weeks, without inclining his head to the left or right. It breaks the continuity to [have a ghost voice, rather [than McNaught’s, to introduce the competitors; this gives the title “host.” a hollow ring. One of the regular duties for the host is to ask the members of the judging panel for a parting message at the end of each programme. More often than not it is “great to be on the show, Jim.” There is an inescapable feeling that Eagleton might produce a more original punch line when the production comes to an end next week.—PANDORA’S GUEST.